How to make your SSD faster: To determine what two SSDs can do in the computer, we have ordered the Samsung SSD 840 and the Samsung SSD 840 Pro in various sizes. In the test with Crystal-DiskMark, the typical behavior of the SSD 840 is shown: the read rates are better than the write rates, both values are clearly superior to a conventional HDD. We then installed a second SSD 840 in the RAID array and repeated all the tests. In fact, they doubled in rates. The reader rates from about 516 MByte / s to fabulous 1115 MByte / s and the write rate from passable 257,4 MByte to a very good 498,5 MByte. As the SSD 840 is also available with 500 GB to buy, we moved to the comparison. As expected, the 500 GB SSD is no faster than the single SSD with 250 GB, but the SSD RAID in terms of speed. The SSD duo is therefore the better choice, especially since there is no big difference between the two variants.
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But how does it look, if the double from SSD 840 against the more powerful SSD 840 Pro with 512 GByte can be run? This result also speaks for the SSD duo: In the case of sequential reading, the RAID is twice as fast, while writing is about the same. In view of this result, it is worth taking a look at the costs: Two Samsung SSD 840 250 GB cost together about 290 euros (as of mid-July 2013). A single Samsung SSD 840 Pro with 512 GB is about 400 euros to book. In short, the RAID of two SSD 840s is more than 100 Euro cheaper than a SDD 840 Pro, but you get better performance with RAID.
The small RAID Einmaleins
For a RAID system, several hard disks are connected. The abbreviation RAID stands for "Redundant Array of Independent Disks" which translates as "redundant array of independent disks". The network consists of at least two hard disks or SSDs, with certain advantages for the individual drive. These are specified by the RAID levels. The most important ones are RAID 0, 1 and 5.
Prerequisites for RAID with SSD
In the case of RAID 0, the hard disks involved are combined into a large hard disk. Because the blocks are distributed alternately on the disks, this allows for largely parallel read and write access, which improves data transmission.
Here's how: RAID 0 Setup
RAID 1 is also widely used. If two hard disks are used for this purpose, both are described identically. The contents are mirrored on both plates. The advantage of RAID 1 against a single hard drive is data security. If one of the two disks fails due to a defect, Windows continues to run smoothly and the defective disk can be replaced by a new one. In addition to the hearing costs, the "discarded" storage space is a disadvantage.
A compromise of data security and higher reading speed is attempted with RAID 5. RAID 5, however, requires at least three hard drives, making the acquisition unattractive, especially with respect to SSDs.
Because we want to realize the speed advantage of two SSDs, we set up a RAID 0 on the PC in the following. For this, the chipset of your motherboard must bring the appropriate RAID functionality. Fortunately, this is the case with almost all newer motherboards for AMD and Intel processors. If you are not sure and do not have the manual for the board, install the SiSoft Sandra Lite 2013 software from sisoftware.net. Under Hardware information click on Mainboard and find the exact name of the mainboard. With a search engine you can quickly find relevant pages on the web, which inform you about the RAID configuration of the board.
This is a good opportunity to test the supported SATA standard of the board. Current SSDs have an SA-TA-III interface. If you have a PC with a SATA-II interface, you can use the backward-compatible SSDs, but the maximum data rate is limited. An SSD RAID system makes little sense on a SATA II system.
Theoretically, desktop PCs can be upgraded to SATA III using the appropriate RAID-capable adapters, which we advise against, because the adapters are often limited by your PCI Express connection. A mainboard exchange to a modern board with SATA III and RAID makes more sense here. You can find the supported SATA mode again with Sandra Lite 2013 as described above under Mainboard. Locate the drive controller entry: The information is found in the fastest SATA mode. Only Windows 7 or Windows 8 can be considered as operating systems, since only these SSDs support correctly. A new installation of Windows does not get around, as only the necessary RAID drivers can be integrated into the system. In addition, you need two SSDs, preferably the same model of a manufacturer.
The SSDs are installed similarly to the installation of a conventional hard disk. SSDs have the usual 2.5-inch format for notebooks, while desktop PCs are 3.5-inch standard. In order to install an SSD in a 3.5-inch hard drive bay, an appropriate mounting frame is required, which is ideally included with the SSD, but it can also be purchased for a few euros. When installing, be sure to connect the two SSDs to the SATA 1 and SATA 2 ports on the motherboard. These are usually the fastest ports.
The first time you restart, you must tell the PC that you want to use a RAID system. To do this, call the BIOS, usually press the "DEL" or "F2" button as soon as an image appears on the monitor. For older systems, move the selected selection area to the Integrated Peripherals with the arrow keys and press the Enter key. Look for an entry such as "onboard SATA Controller", "RAID Mode", or "Configure SATA."
Change the existing setting (usually IDE or AHCI) to RAID. Save the settings when exiting the BIOS. Note that the settings on your motherboard can be different and that the Z and Y buttons are interchanged in the BIOS. Newer motherboards with UEFI BIOS are however somewhat comfortable with the mouse to operate. The next time you restart the RAID utility, you will be prompted to configure the RAID. Depending on the mainboard, press the key combination CTRL + I (for an Intel CPU) or CTRL + F for an AMD CPU. You will now see a selection menu for configuring the RAID group.
In the following, we describe the process for an Intel system; the steps are similar for AMD systems. In the main menu of the Intel RAID Utility "OptionROM", select "1. Create RAID Volume" and press the Enter key. In the next window (see screenshot on the left), give the RAID group any name. Use the Tab key to move to the next entry RAID Level. Use the cursor keys to select RAID0 (Stripe). In the next field, press Enter and select the two installed SSDs in the Select Disks window with the spacebar. Press the Enter key. Set the value 128KB as Stripe Size. Use the last point Create Volume to close the operation. An indication appears that all data on the SSDs are lost. Confirm this with the Z key (!). Back in the main menu of the RAID utility, press ESC to exit the main menu and restart the PC.
Reinstall Windows
If the RAID is set, the installation of Windows 7 or Windows 8 is still in progress. Windows provides the necessary standard RAID drivers. After the first Windows start, you should install the latest version of the RAID drivers. For many Intel boards, the TRIM command for the SSD is activated in the RAID. The user is concerned about the release of invalid data areas. If TRIM is not available, the SSD internal garbage collection function has to compensate for this, but it can not work so effectively.
You can get the RAID driver for Intel systems for free on the Intel homepage and the RAID driver for AMD systems can be found at AMD. You can also monitor and / or change the RAID on Windows.
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